Teething-finger.



A. DUBAY.

TEETHING FINGER.

APPLIGATION FILED JULY 13,1910.

1,023,822, I Patented Apr. 23, 1912.

iii/7W7 00M! unrrnn srarns PATENT orrron ARTHUR DUBAY, OF GABDINER, MAINE.

TEETHING-FING-ER.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ARTHUR DUBAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Gardiner, in the county of Kennebec and State of Maine, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Teething-Fingers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to teething fingers employed to assist infants in cutting teeth, and has for one of its objects to simplify and improve the construction and increase the efficiency and utility of devices of this character.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which possesses sufiicient yieldableness to prevent undue abrasion of the gums, while at the same time possessing suificient resistance to assist the infant in forcing the growing teeth through the gums.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character possessing a supporting core of relatively hard sub stance or material and with a detachable shell of a relatively soft material or substance which may be renewed when impaired.

WVith these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction as hereinafter shown and described and then specifically pointed out in the claim; and, in the drawings illustrative of the preferred embodiment of the invention, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved device with the detachable shell in section, Fig. 2 is a side elevation with the detachable soft shell in position upon the hard supporting core. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

The improved device comprises a core or body 10 of any suitable material, but preferably of ivory, celluloid, or metal, and provided at one end with an enlargement 11 to provide a grip for the hand of the infant or Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 13, 1910.

Patented Apr. 23, 1912. Serial No. 571,872.

for the nurse, and likewise provide means for the attachment of a holding cord or ribbon. The member 10 is divided into two main portions with one portion tapering toward the end opposite to the enlargement 11 and conforming in outline closely to a finger and reduced at the juncture of the two portions,as shown at 12, to form an encircling groove or channel in the body. Fitting over the tapered portion of the body is an outer shell 13 of relatively soft rubber or like material, which resembles in its contour the finger of the nurse or mother of the infant. The member 13 is provided with an inwardly directed flange 14 at its inner end which engages in the channel 12 and thus supports the member 13 upon the body, and

prevents its accidental displacement, but at the same time the member 13 may be removed from the body when an abnormal pressure is applied thereto. By this means a broken or impaired shell may be removed and a new one applied without discarding the body.

The member 13 may be constructed of any suitable material, and the device may be of any required size, but, as before stated, will preferably be of a size corresponding to the finger of the nurse or mother of the infant.

What is claimed is A device of the class described comprising a supporting core of relatively hard material throughout thereby, the inner end of said shell being formed with an inwardly directed flange engaging in the channel, that portion of the supporting core covered by the shell being elliptical in sect-ion.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my sigma ture, in presence of two witnesses.

ARTHUR DUBAY.

Witnesses:

R. H. WILLIS, L. H. GoNANr.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C. 

